Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Sorry, this movie sucks

There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

While the modern world may not think much of this short film featuring William K. L. Dickson moving his hat from one hand to the other, it has a big spot in cinematic history. For one thing, the famous man Thomas Edison used his Kinetograph to film it. Also, later in the 1900s films were being made in which the plot involved the camera itself, and the person filming with it. (A good example of this can be found in James Williamson's "The Big Swallow" and Cecil Hepworth's "How it feels to be Run Over.") I believe this film was the first to have that idea that the camera and the cameraman could be part of the action.In this case, Mr. Dickson does a gesture with his hat for the camera. While he doesn't seem to notice the camera, that idea is still there: when it was presented to audiences, they would feel as though they were being greeted. Thus, instead of watching the action, they would also be part of it.8/10 rating: 7 stars for how much I liked it, 1 for its cinematic value.

Dickson Greeting (1891) **** (out of 4) This Edison short was at one time believed to have been the first movie ever made in America but it turned out to be the second behind Edison's three versions of Monkeyshines. In this film, running eighteen seconds, we see a man facing the camera with a hat in one hand and moving that hat to the other hand. This might not sound like much today but this is a very important film in the history of movies because this is the film that showed people moving pictures were possible. The act of the man moving the hate is done six times with three separate shots. This film is also important as we get a visual image of Dickson who is a silent partner in creating this new technology. There's nothing here that's going to blow people away but from a historic viewpoint there aren't many films more important.

As simple and brief as it is, this mini-feature is one of the most important steps in the development of moving pictures. In its time, it was an enormous step forward from previous experiments (at least from those of which records still exist), and it shows a complete success in getting past some of the difficulties with the Edison Company's earlier "Monkeyshines" experiments.The footage simply shows Edison's associate W.K.L. Dickson, performing a jaunty motion of greeting, which is then repeated more than once. The image is very clear, with only a slight suggestion of minor distortion around the edges. The illusion of motion is smooth and completely convincing. It has also survived in good condition, which is fortunate given its significance.It is also appropriate that such a significant step forward would preserve the image of Dickson, who was so instrumental in developing the new technology. While the exact amount of credit rightfully due to Edison, Dickson, and other individuals can now no longer be determined accurately, it seems apparent from all accounts that Dickson probably deserves as much credit as anyone in the early development of motion pictures.

Thomas Edison, the father of many inventions, combined the phonograph and the zoopraxiscope to create the Kinetoscope.This incredible invention began Edison Motion Pictures and the first of its creations, "Dickson Greeting".This 18 sec. short (which loops 3 sec of footage 6 times at 30 fps) inspired the world to the endless possibilities of film.Although this film is very short and simple it is awesome to see the industry at its infancy and a gives you greater appreciation for where we are today.10* (10* Rating) This film deserves a perfect score for its imagination and what it represents.